


Classics

by quaker_oats



Category: 18th Century CE RPF, Historical RPF, Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M, but i've been told that it needs more fluff, i'm not very familiar with the ben/nathan tag, so here i am, to give this tag some damn peace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 22:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10174250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quaker_oats/pseuds/quaker_oats
Summary: An account of Benjamin and Nathan's time at Yale. Ben is a bored freshman looking for entertainment while Nathan is studious and committed to his schoolwork. Though these differences cause problems, the boys quickly become connected by the hip. We follow the friends as Ben attempts to get Nathan to loosen up and have a little fun before their time in college is over. Nathan hesitantly agrees, though almost staunch and religious, to accompany his companion to the local tavern. Antics are pulled, including spilled ink and broken windows. Ben discovers he can fall in love with laughter.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I've been reading stuff on the Culper Ring lately and I've always found the relationship between these two to be fascinating. I also thought that the Nathan/Ben tag was in desperate need of fluff without implications of angst. So I hope you enjoy! Elaboration of historical events I've included references to will be included at the end just because I thought they were fun to include. Thanks a lot!

A relaxing day on the main green, Benjamin Tallmadge lounged on plush grass in the shade cast by a small tree, shielding him from the rays of the sun, striking from a summer just passed. Other boys at the college were stuck in dorms or the library or classes, but Ben had classical languages, arithmetic, and proper grammar burned into his brain in his youth, meaning that the first few years of his expensive Yale education would be dull, not that he was complaining about the lighter workload. The clean Connecticut air was refreshing compared to the sour seaweed smell of his Long Island fishing town, and the temperate air wrapped him like a blanket, a good day to be outside, unfortunate that few of the other boys could join him. His eyelids grew heavy with the sounds of birds chattering from the trees.

There was a crash recognizably of ink, pens, and paper, which brought Benjamin out of his fatigue. After blinking away peaceful rest, he spotted the cause of the noise, a scrawny blond boy moving frantically to pick up what he had dropped. Ben’s theory was that the boy had tripped over a nearby root, rookie mistake. He’d tripped the same way his first week but learned quickly to avoid it. Freshmen who spent little time outdoors often fell, the boy happened to be one of the unfortunate few who had been carrying supplies across campus. The boy must have seen Ben’s eyes on him, for he was now wearing a blush that was in great contrast to his paler features, and looking directly at him with wide, bright eyes. Ben picked himself up, ignoring newly underused muscle and achy bones from his nap.

The closer he became the more he noticed. He recognized the boy from some of his classes, but Ben had never paid him much mind until now. Blond curls framed his face, freckles dusted over his nose and cheeks and around his eyes, which were so much more complicated up close, flecks of green and brown over that deep blue, expressive yet the boy himself seemed a bit reserved and even embarrassed due to the situation, nothing like he was in class.

Time sped up again, Benjamin remembering why he’d come over in the first place, bending down and picking up books and papers for the boy with a small smile, a friendly look, maybe just to make the slight anxious look on his counterpart’s face, which proved to be successful from the kind smile that spread across his face, causing Ben to double his gin. The boy had a nice smile and an open face.

“Oh, thank you,” the boy said, taking his books and belongings.

“My pleasure,” Ben replied. “Hale, is it?”

“It is indeed. And you’re Tallmadge?”

“Benjamin, please.”

Ben couldn’t take his eyes off Hale. Though not particularly traditionally attractive, he was striking. Hair that shifted in the sunlight and skin clear, Ben thought he could have been crafted by some divine being, even the mole sticking out on his neck was an endearment of sorts.

“Then, Benjamin, I should request you call me Nathan.”

Nathan Hale. Ben thought they’d get along just fine.

 

* * *

 

 

And they did, not only were they in classes together, but they enjoyed many of the same activities. They found each other in debate and in the theater. The visits Ben actually took to the library were to accompany Nathan, helping him study, not that he needed much assistance. Nathan was sure to be valedictorian, Ben just knew it. He admired Nathan’s perceptive mind, the way he thought and used logic and could piece concepts together. The more they were in each other’s presence, the more Ben found the staunch and studious boy he’d seen in class, but also a boy who was loyal and easily persuaded, much to Ben’s fortune and mischief. While both men were religious to a point, Nathan dared not miss service or prayer, something Ben respected, but the man held his beliefs so tightly that it was difficult to have fun for an insubordinate college student like himself.

“I’m not going out to play cards with you, Tallmadge.” Nathan hardly looked up from his book to respond, reading over conjugations of latin verbs which could bore Ben dumb.

Ben watched his companion, desperate eyes as he silently begged for a night out, before saying, “You won’t be going out to play cards with me, we’re just going to the tavern for a drink.”

“We’re going to the tavern where you meet your band of gamblers.”

“So you agree that we’re going.”

Nathan had not intentionally agreed, but Ben loved to play with words and his companion had made the mistake of saying “we’re going.” Ben held an expectant and hopeful smirk as Nathan’s eyes finally moved from his book and trained on Ben. Ben always adored when he could retain Hale’s full attention, he could swim in those complicated eyes. Nathan’s chest rose as he puffed out an exhausted sigh, obviously not wanting to agree with Ben but the fact that he’d looked up from his book at all was an admission of defeat.

“I’ll have one drink, but no more, and no cards for either of us.”

Ben agreed to the terms and he helped gather their belongings and dragged Nathan from that horrid, stuffy building as quickly as possible. He watched a smile grow on Nathan’s lips, obviously not intentional, but made Ben’s chest swell with pride as he and his antics had been the cause of his friend’s smile. That motivation was what fueled him in any decisions he made that night, good and bad. Admittedly mostly bad.

“How did I let you talk me into this again?” Nathan had broken his rule of only one drink. Though strong-willed, Ben was more persistent.

“I think even you can’t resist a little fun every once and a while.” Ben wore a sloppy grin, eyes foggy and unfocused, or so it seemed. The blue orbs had settled on a nice space to look, just above Nathan’s chin and up to his lips.

As the night progressed, their speech slurred and their grins grew. Songs were sung, laughs were had, giggles became infectious, especially as Ben loosened Nathan up. He was convinced that he could fall in love with a laugh that night and also fall in love with the notion that he could make Nathan laugh, that angelic sound.

The following morning, a drum pounded in Benjamin’s head as the prayer bell sounded: _Pang! Pang! Pang!_ The sound echoed in his brain even after the bell had concluded it’s task of torture and a headache split Ben’s skull in two. He rolled over with a groan low in his throat, raw from shouting the previous evening, and pushed his pillows over his ears. He was just about drifting off again before another awful sound interrupted his piece, a knock at the door. It was unlikely that Ben was going to answer the knock unless getting the news that hell was frozen over and even then he’d probably rather sleep through the announcement. No matter what psychic powers Tallmadge possessed, he could not magically keep the door closed and Nathan stumbled into his room.

“Come on, Tallmadge, we can’t be late. We don’t need any more fines after last night.”

Nathan confiscated Ben’s pillow, forcing him to open his eyes and look up at the other man, much to Ben’s dismay as the light from the window burned holes into his pupils.

“Lord, you look awful.” Nathan wore a judgmental scowl, although that might have been from his own headache rather than Ben’s shabby appearance.

“As if you’re any better.” Ben knew his remark wasn’t true, Nathan did seem to be in better shape than him. Though a little redness and dark circles under his eyes, he was still well put together and at least lucid. Still, Nathan dragged him from the sweet warmth of his covers and coaxed him towards real clothes.

“You mentioned fines from last night? What are they exactly?”

Nathan began to speak but paused and continued with bouts of beautiful laughter. It flowed from his lips like music, which Ben would have normally noticed if it hadn’t been for his currently faulty head.

“What’s so funny?”

“You broke windows at the tavern last night, Tallmadge.”

“Come again?”

“I am never taking you out again, you broke nearly _all_ of the windows at the tavern!”

It came back to him in Nathan’s laugh, the thing that had fueled him to do it in the first place, because it had made Nathan laugh. They had been caught while laughing, surrounded by shattered glass. Nathan and his brother had taken some to the toll of the fines but Ben carried the heaviest load. Ben shouldn’t have found it funny, but Nathan’s laugh slipped into his own, a contagion of sorts, and the men found themselves late for morning services anyway.

 

* * *

 

It was easier to get Nathan to loosen up after a couple more nights, though none as rowdy as that one. After a few drinks, and it was only a few, Nathan had a test the next day and refused to have any more than two, Nathan accompanied Ben to his room. Even drunk, the chill of winter and bite of frost go to Ben and he was relieved when entering his dorm. It wasn’t much of a difference from outside but it was satisfying to once again be in a building with a hearth.

“Stay a while, Nathan.” Ben began pulling Nathan inside his room, barely putting thought into the action.

“I’ve got to be heading home.”

“Nonsense, it’s too cold to go back out.” Ben was insistent and was positive Nathan had some sort of weakness for that. He repeated himself as Nathan surrendered, “stay awhile.”

They chatted, hushed only when neighbors bothered to take the trouble of knocking on the door to quiet them, though not many did this time of night when people were already asleep. Nathan played with Ben’s few belongings, looking over his notes but not attempting to correct them while they were both foggy. Ben found himself staring at the man, something that wasn’t uncommon but had more weight in that moment. As they had become better acquainted, Ben has noted more and more about him; his sharp jawline, manly features, the way he was more well built under deceivingly larger clothes that made his exterior lankier, the focused look in his eye.

“You know how your brow furrows when you’re asking yourself a question?” Ben’s voice seemed distant and detached to himself.

“I never put any thought to it.”

Ben smiled, a wide grin that seemed infectious as he chuckled. “You’re always so serious.”

Nathan returned the expression with his own laugh, making Ben beam. “And you are not. When you don’t understand you cock your head to the side like a family dog.”

They had a riot at that. “The family dog am I?”

Nathan nodded, “Yes, you-“

Ben didn’t allow Nathan to finish his thought. Without thinking, he’d taken the other man’s jaw in his hands, cradling in between his palms. He moved faster than he could think, leaning forward and filling in the space between them, connecting at the lips. There was a moment where nothing happened, Ben kissed Nathan, small sparks going off in a pit in his stomach. Somehow, he knew he’d been waiting for this. Though the urge was subconscious, it had definitely been there and Ben felt a great relief, a weight off his shoulders as he hungrily leaned in for more.

That was when he felt a gentle push on his shoulders, and then a hater push until he was removed from Nathan, Whatever giddy expression he’d had disappeared when he saw the look on Nathan’s face. Shocked, almost horrified. Consequences of his actions caught up with him. Nathan was a deeply religious man. Hell, Ben believed in a God, what shame had he brought upon himself? But as he thought about it, he didn’t care. No loving God could have made such a glorious sensation evil and Ben thought an educated man such as himself had enough authority to say that it couldn’t have been wrong. All he cared about was that Nathan had found the same peace, which he evidently had not from the looks of his expression.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Ben trailed off, head hanging and eyes on the floor. For a Yale student and man with an extensive enough vocabulary, he couldn’t find the words to explain himself.

Nathan was the one that broke the tangible silence, “Again.”

Ben looked up, seeing Nathan was looking straight at him, staring him down with eyes that had always made him weak. “What?”

“Benjamin, I was deceived into thinking that you were rather intelligent. We study classics, do you mean to tell me you don’t know the meaning of the line ‘give me my sin again’?”

Ben was struck dumb, gaping at Nathan, beyond a point of shock. Hale looked so serious, eyebrows furrowed like Ben had pointed out before. He’d been good with words when he wanted to be, striking and strong and compelling, a good debater.

“Oh for Christ’s sake,” Nathan exclaimed after Ben’s prolonged silence. He took it upon himself to get Ben out of his awe only to toss him into another inescapable state.

The rest of the night was spent in sweet bliss and close embrace. The day after they would surely think on their actions, abut as long as the moon hung in the sky they would allow feelings to fester and they would indulge. It seemed evident to Ben that his years at Yale would not be wasted after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for giving my story a glance! I really enjoyed writing it! Feel free to comment with any criticism or advice or just if you want to discuss! It's lovely to hear from you guys!
> 
> The big historical anecdote I've included in this is the broken windows at the tavern windows. According to the book Washington's Spies by Alexander Rose, Ben and the Hale brother's broke some windows after "a prolonged visit to a local tavern." I didn't have a lot of context for the incident so I took some liberties. They were fined, though, each fined a shilling and five pence and Ben getting another seven pence on top of what he owed. I just thought it was a funny story.
> 
> Anyways, it means a lot! I'm going to close up over here! There may be more stories to come. Again, shoot me a comment if you want to talk. I think my account is just turning into a one stop shop for fluff, which I guess I don't mind. I'm going to try to start working on a more ambitious project soon but who knows if that will ever see the light of day. Again, I really appreciate you dropping by! You're all lovely!


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